Picture frame clamp and hanger

ABSTRACT

The present picture frame clamp and hanger is installed on a picture frame by inserting a screw at the desired location on a frame, slipping the clamp over the screw and tightening the screw and after a series of said clamps are so installed around the picture frame, a canvas panel or picture can be securely retained against the frame by said clamps.

United States Patent 1,959,745 5/1934 Stout 40/156 FOREIGN PATENTS 132,476 9/l9l9 Great Britain 40/l56 Primary Examiner-Lawrence Charles Assistant Examiner-Wenceslao J. Contreras Attorney-Linton & Linton ABSTRACT: The present picture frame clamp and hanger is installed on a picture frame by inserting a screw at the desired location on a frame, slipping the clamp over the screw and tightening the screw and after a series of said clamps are so installed around the picture frame, a canvas panel or picture can be securely retained against the frame by said clamps.

PATENTEB AUG 3191:

INVENTOR EUGENE d yy /\//1 PICTURE FRAME CLAMP AND HANGER The present invention is concerned with a clamp for retaining canvas panels, pictures and the like on a picture frame.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide a clamp which can be quickly and easily installed or removed from a frame and when installed will assist other like clamps in securely retaining a panel, picture or the like against the frame and can also be used in the hanging of the frame on a supporting surface such as a wall.

A further important object of the present invention is provide a clamp having a supporting base and resilient tongue permanently connected into a single unit which can be economically produced.

Other objects of the invention will be in part obvious and in part pointed out in the following detailed description of the accompanying drawing, in which,

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the present clamp and its attaching screw,

FIG. 2 is an enlarged crosssectional view of a picture frame, panel and clamp mounted thereon,

FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the clamp before assembly,

FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of a modified form of tongue for the clamp, and

FIG. 5 is an enlarged perspective view of a rivet for the tongue of FIG. 4.

Referring now more particularly to the drawing wherein like and corresponding parts are designated by similar reference characters, numeral 1 generally indicates the clamp base having a disc 2 with circular edge 3 except for the flat rectangular connector 4 which is bent on a straight line 5, which is a chord of disc 2, to extend at about 45 from disc 2 and is integral therewith. Connector 4 has an integral extension 7 which is bent on straight line 6 to extend normal to disc 2.

Said disc 2 has a keyhole 8 with narrow slot 9, while connector 4 has a pair of holes 10 and extension 7 has an opening 11.

Said clamp base 1 can be formed of plastic or metal with sufficient thickness to give the same rigidity.

Tongue 12 can also be of plastic or metal, but of a thickness to give the same resiliency. Said tongue has a straight end 13 of the same length as line 5 of said base, a flat end portion 14 contiguous with curved medial portion 15 whose free end portion has a reversed curve 16 ending in tip 17.

Tongue end 13 is superimposed on line 5 with connector .openings 10 in line with openings 18 in said tongue flat end portion 14 and rivets 19 each extend through one of said opening 10 and its coinciding opening 18 and are flattened fixedly attaching tongue 12 to connector 4.

Screw 20 has a flat or round head 21 which is smaller than keyhole 8, but larger than slot 9.

In the use of the present clamps, a plurality of screws 20 are screwed into a frame face B at desired positions therearound, but with heads 21 spaced from the frame. A plurality of clamps are then mounted each under one of said screwheads 21. That is each clamp is placed on the frame A by inserting a screw 20 through the clamp opening 8, sliding the clamp slot 9 along the screw and then tightening the screw into the frame. A spacer F can be placed under the clamp with the screw 20 screwed therethrough into the frame.

A canvas panel, picture or other flat article C can be placed across the frame opening onto the frame surface B with the tongues 12 of the clamps extending onto the marginal portions of the articles C whereupon screws 20 can be tightened clamping the articles C between the clamps and the frame.

Picture wire D can be inserted through openings 11 of a pair of opposite clamps and wound as at E to provide a hanger for frame A hereby said frame can be hung from a wall, for example.

The tongue of FIG. 4 is formed of a wire having a curved base end 22 integral with legs 23 and 26 which are arched as at 24 and 27 respectively, and ending with eyes 25 and 28,

res ectiyely. This tongue is used in place of tongue 12 on base l. hat 1S rivets 29 are inserted through holes 1 of connector 4 and eyes 25 and 28 and legs 33 between slits 32 in the tubular shank 31 of each rivet is bent back over the adjacent eye 25 or 28 drawing rivet head 30 against connector 4 fixedly attaching the wire tongue and base 1.

The clamp of FIG. 4 is used in the same manner as that for the previously described clamp as in FIG. 2.

I claim:

1. A clamp comprising a flat base having a keyhole opening, an extension of said base extending on an angle thereto and having openings therethrough, a tongue provided by a wire having a curved medial base portion and a pair of arched legs ending in eyes, rivets each extending through one of said eyes and one of said extension openings fixedly attaching the said tongue to said base extension and a screw for attaching said base to a supporting base and detachably extending through said base keyhole opening. 

1. A clamp comprising a flat base having a keyhole opening, an extension of said base extending on an angle thereto and having openings therethrough, a tongue provided by a wire having a curved medial base portion and a pair of arched legs ending in eyes, rivets each extending through one of said eyes and one of said extension openings fixedly attaching the said tongue to said base extension and a screw for attaching said base to a supporting base and detachably extending through said base keyhole opening. 